DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings hadn’t made a trade with their arch-rival Chicago Blackhawks in 33 years, but general manager Ken Holland figured there was no harm in trying.

So he called his Blackhawks counterpart, Bob Murray, a month before the trade deadline in 1999 and told him if they were looking to move Chris Chelios, the Red Wings were interested.

“We had won the Stanley Cup in ’97 and ’98 and were one of the best teams in hockey; we were looking for a three-peat,’’ Holland said. “Cheli was a player we hated to play against but had so much respect for that we thought he would be a great Red Wing because of how hard he competed and his skill level.’’

Murray told Holland there was no chance Chelios would be traded.

Several weeks later, a day before the March 23 trade deadline, Murray called Holland and said the situation had changed and asked if he was still interested in the rugged defenseman.

“Later that night he called again and it looked like something was going to happen,’’ Holland said. “I went to bed the night before the trade deadline not sure where it was going to go and then things really started to move about 10, 11 in the morning.

“It appeared to me they were going to move him and we were one of two or three teams on the list that he would go to.’’

There was a catch: At age 37, Chelios wanted a two-year extension before agreeing to waive his no-trade clause. He had one year left on his deal, so the extension meant the Red Wings would have him for the remainder of that season and three more, until he was 40.

“(Coach) Scotty Bowman wanted him, I wanted him,’’ Holland said. “We reached out to (owners) Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch and told them what was going on and asked if they comfortable with a two-year extension (at $5.5 million per season). They were on board with us and three hours later he was a Red Wing.’’

Holland gave up promising young defenseman Anders Eriksson and two first-round picks. He expected to have Chelios until the contract expired.

“Little did I know I’d be doing four or five more deals with him,’’ Holland said.

“The last year of that deal was the 2002 season when we won the Cup and Cheli was second in voting for the Norris Trophy (to teammate Nicklas Lidstrom), so I actually gave him a pay increase (to $6 million). But he certainly earned it.

“Hard to believe you acquire a 37-year-old and he ended up playing with us for a decade. It’s mind-boggling, really. He was some kind of special player. Not many of those floating around.’’

Chelios, 51, is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday in Toronto.

Here is the second part of his interview with MLive.com’s Ansar Khan:

Chris Chelios drops Maxsim Mayorov of the Columbus Blue Jackets to the ice in a 2009 game.The Associated Press

Q. Did you ask to be traded from Chicago or did the Blackhawks approach you?

A. It was kind of a standoff, whether I was going to ask to be traded or they were going to want to move me because I had a no-trade (clause). But there were all kinds of signs. They had gotten rid of Jeremy (Roenick), Tony Amonte, (Ed) Belfour. Once they said there was no kids allowed in dressing room -- that was directed right towards me because I loved having my kids there -- it was time. And I couldn’t carry the load at that age, playing 25-30 minutes a game.

Q. How did Detroit, your bitter rival for many years, the team you hated and said you’d never play for, come into the mix?

A. I didn’t know where I was going, I just wanted to get out. Teams that came up were Philly and San Jose. I remember telling Bob Murray I don’t care where I go. At that point I was pretty disappointed, I never wanted to leave Chicago. It worked out again. When they said Detroit, there was no hesitation, even though there was bad blood over the years. Two things – it was a great team and it was close to home. My sister had cancer (Gigi, died in 2000) and it was easy for me to go back and forth if (his family) needed me. I left on good terms with the Wirtz family (Blackhawks owners). They treated me great.’’

Q. Still, it had to be shocking Chicago would trade you to Detroit?

A. Philly, I was looking forward to, thought it was a great team, great ownership. That wouldn’t have bothered me going there. For Detroit to come in the mix at the last minute, the word shock … I just wanted to leave, so as soon as they said Detroit wanted me, I said, yeah, not thinking about the ramifications of being hated there. Then the fact Ulf Samuelsson and Wendel Clark came at the same time (in other trade-deadline deals), they were just as hated as I was, not as much in Detroit, but pretty close, so that helped a little bit.

Q. Was there any remorse leaving Chicago?

A. When it did hit me was after we lost in the playoffs to Colorado (in 1999), I stayed in the hotel room for two days. I don’t think I’ve ever gone into depression, but that was the low part of my career, when it sunk in I’d been traded from Chicago. Not so much that I was in Detroit, but it hit me that I left Chicago.’’

Q. How concerned were you about how you’d be received by players and fans in Detroit?

A. They cheered me for my first shift, it seemed like they took me in right away. But as the first couple of years went by and we lost out (in the playoffs), there were still a bunch of haters. I heard it, whether I was in bars or restaurants, that line that ‘We haven’t won a Cup since you’ve been here.’ I think winning the Cup (in 2002) silenced everybody.’’

The Detroit Red Wings acquired Chris Chelios in a trade with Chicago on March 23, 1999.The Associated Press

Q. Did you have any issues with any players when you arrived?

A. A lot of stares. I’ll never forget Marty Lapointe walking up to me within the first 15 minutes I was in the dressing room -- and he could have killed me anytime, he was a tough kid -- and the first thing he says is, ‘Is everything going to be OK between us?’ I started laughing. I said a lot of things to Drapes (Kris Draper), too. I would have hated me for some of the things I said. But it’s the same old thing, guys hate you but would love to have you on their team. The room was easy. The guys accepted me right away. It was the fans I was more worried about.’’

Q. You were booed in Chicago in 2010 during a Heritage Night ceremony honoring you. Did that surprise or disappoint you?

A. It wasn’t surprising, I told everyone from (Blackhawks president) John McDonough to my wife (Tracee), and they said no way are they going to boo you, especially with your family there. I wasn’t disappointed. I hope it was only the whole Detroit-Chicago thing. When I was there they cheered me like no other. I’d like to think if I was ever to go back and work for the Hawks that they’d be behind me 100 percent.

Q. What does it mean to you to still be with the Red Wings organization?

A. Now I’m part of the whole Detroit family. Unfortunately, I’ve been disowned by Chicago, but slowly, over the years, they’re starting to come around. People have forgiven me for (leaving) because of the success they’ve had in Chicago. It means a lot to me because I’m from there and they should claim me as their own. But I feel right at home in Detroit. Everybody’s been great to me, my family, what the Ilitches have done for me over the years. Whether I ever go back to Chicago to take care of my parents, maybe I will, but I got lucky for a guy who was hated (in Detroit). If things would have gone the other way and the team started declining, there’s no question they’d be chasing me out of town.

Q. Did you take pride in being the villain in so many rinks?

A. Unfortunately, it was because of the role I had to play against other teams’ top players. Honestly, I watched some of the stuff I did and I hated me for some of the things I did to skilled players. But you know what, it worked. You want to hit a guy and you don’t want to hit him when he’s ready, you want to hit him when he’s not. I never wanted to hurt anybody, but I can’t say at the time I was actually hitting someone that I wasn’t hitting them to hurt them. I expected to get booed. Boston, Philly, Vancouver were some of the worst places. But I didn’t care if the other crowd was booing me. I didn’t get booed in my own rink ever by my own fans.

Q. The Baseball Hall of Fame requires inductees to choose a team to represent (for the cap on the plaque). How relieved are you that the Hockey Hall of Fame doesn’t do that?

A. It’s the biggest relief. You look at my situation, I played over 400 games for three teams. They put me in a Chicago jersey in the program because that was the most games I played (for a team) and that rattled a few people here in the organization. It’s a tough situation. At the end of the day, because I was born and raised in Chicago, if I had to pick, that would be the only reason. If I had a chance I would have put myself in a USA jersey, just to (tick) off the Canadians.

Q. To what do you attribute your longevity?

A. Great teams, great players, great teammates. Luck, no (major) injuries, that played a key part of it. It was just right timing, being on a (Detroit) team where I fit in, in a role where I had to kill penalties and play 12 minutes a game. I could have done that another five years.

Q. What are your career highlights?

A. For sure winning the (three) Stanley Cups. The (Olympic) silver medal in Salt Lake City (2002) I think was the best hockey I ever played in, with all the great players. Being able to play in the Olympics in the U.S.; had we finished with a gold it would have been a dream come true, but thank God there’s a prize for second and third in the Olympics, so winning a silver wasn’t a loss to me. It was a great tournament and having all my friends and family there to watch was special.

Q. How much are you enjoying your role with the organization and what does the future hold?

A. It’s been an easy transition. I tried the management side working under Kenny and (former assistant GM) Jim Nill, mostly the scouting side, traveling a little more than I would like to but at least they allow me to go to my kids’ games (Dean and Jake play at Michigan State). After the first year, getting on the ice, player development, for sure I enjoy that a lot more than a front-office job. Now working with (Grand Rapids Griffins coach) Jeff Blashill, I enjoy going on the ice and working with kids. If you’re not playing that’s the next-best thing to staying in the game, coaching. I’d rather be on a part-time basis because of my kids. I haven’t missed many of their games in college. Dean and Jake are seniors this year, it’ll be a tough decision whether I want to take a full-time job. After playing so long, the thought of having to get on a plane or bus again on a regular basis, that’s the only thing stopping me from taking a head coach or assistant coaching job. The good thing is it’s not like I’m trying to jump into it with no experience. I believe you have to pay your dues, and now being in Grand Rapids the last two years, the experience I’m getting, at least I’ll be ready to do an assistant coaching job, if not a head coaching job. I love the game, love being on the bench. But I like traveling (only) when I want to.

Q. Sounds like it will be a tough decision?

A. My kids have been so loyal to me and my wife as far as location, both (sons) go to Michigan State. My second daughter is going to Northwestern. I love being based in Michigan and having them close. Sounds like you’re over-protective, but that’s all that’s ever mattered to me, having a family.